Radio tube sockets



NOV. 29, 1960 w, GLUCK 2,962,690

RADIO TUBE SOCKETS Filed April 20, 1956 INVENTOR. WILLIAM GLUCK ATTORNEY RADIO TUBE socxnrs William Gluck, Bronx, N.Y., assignor to Industrial Hardware Manufacturing Co., Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 20, 1956, Ser. No. 579,664

8 Claims. (Cl. 339-194) This invention relates to sockets for the reception of electron emission tubes, and other components having pins for connection purposes, hereinafter for convenience called simply radio tubes, and relates more particularly to such sockets adapted for stacking and for mechanized insertion.

The primary object of the present invention is to generally improve radio tube sockets. A more particular object is to improve sockets which are of the general character shown in co-pending application of the present inventor and Seymour Offerman, Serial No. 524,693, filed July 27, 1955, and entitled Tube Socket for Printed Circuit.

A related object is to improve the handling, storage and shipment of sockets, with a view to avoiding tangling together of the sockets, and with a view to avoiding the need for hoppering of sockets when arranging for mechanized insertion of the same. These objects are fulfilled generally by providing a connected series of finished or substantially finished sockets which may be handled as a unit or as a stick of sockets. Still another object is to provide such a stick of sockets in which the sockets are disposed in superposed or stacked relation, and in which they are held together, preferably by a snap engagement, although a resilient frictional or slip engagement might be employed. In accordance with a further feature and object of the invention, the parts of the sockets are so related as to provide a relatively rigid stick of sockets.

The mechanism for inserting the sockets is not claimed herein, it being claimed in my divisional application, Serial No. 763,512, filed September 26, 1958.

To accomplish the foregoing general objects, and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in the novel socket elements, and their relation one to another, as are hereinafter more specifically described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation of a fragmentary portion of a stick of connected sockets embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is explanatory of the manner of use of the socket;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the lower end of the center ground shield;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section at one of the terminal posts of superposed sockets;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a socket and part of a subjacent socket, taken approximately in the plane of the line 5--5 of Fig. 5A, but drawn to enlarged scale;

Fig. 5A is a plan view of the socket;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary development of the lower end of the blank for the center ground shield; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation, similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modification.

The socket inserting machine disclosed in the aforesaid divisional application comprises a magazine holding a series or stack of sockets, and a means to push the end- 2,962,690 Patented Nova 29, 1960 i so most socket downwardly into a board while separating the endmost socket from the next socket.

I preliminarily provide a connected series of sockets which may be handled as a unit or stick. A piece of such a stick of sockets is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, it comprising superposed sockets 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, etc. Each socket comprises an insulation body 64, 66 (Fig. 2) carrying a ring of metal contacts and also a center ground shield 68. Each of the contacts preferably comprises a pin grip portion 70 (Fig. 5) and a terminal portion 72 connected by a bridge portion 74.. The center ground shield 68 is provided with a means 76 to secure it to a subjacent socket 78. This could be a frictional engagement, but more preferably is a snap fit.

The shield 68 is a hollow tubular member, and its lower end is made pointed, resiliently compressible, and undercut. It is so dimensioned as to be received in the upper end 80 of the shield of the subjacent socket 78 with a snap fit. For this purpose the blank from which the center shield 68 is formed is appropriately shaped, one suitable shape being shown at 82 in Fig. 6. The blank is provided with points 84 separated by slots 86, and when the lower end is formed into finished configuration the points 84 are spaced by slots at 86, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. This makes the lower end of the shield resiliently compressible. In addition it is preferably provided with a ridge forming an undercut, as shown at 88 in Figs. 2 and 5, and this cooperates with a mating channel of the next lower shield, which has a bead shown at 90 (Fig. 5).

The socket here shown is a laminated socket, and the shield is used further as an eyelet to hold the lower and upper laminations 64 and 66 together. The bead 90 is preliminarily formed on the shield, and after the shield is inserted upwardly through the laminations, the upper end is flanged or riveted outwardly, as shown at 92 in Fig. 5. During this flanging operation the upper end of the shield may be forced into a shape with flats, for example, the hexagonal shape shown at 92 in Fig. 5A. This has the advantage of holding the wafers 64 and 66 against relative rotation. The formation of the bead 90 also provides a channel or inwardly directed ledge or undercut which cooperates with the shoulder 88 of the resilient end 76 of the next shield, so that they may be engaged not merely with a frictional engagement, but with a snap fit.

The axial dimension of the shield 68 is greater than that of the terminal posts 72. The length of shield 63 is preferably reduced to an amount which will bring the posts 72 into engagement with the next lower socket, thereby steadying the sockets against one another. This is shown in Fig. 7, in which the center shield 94 is of such length that the terminal posts 96 of socket 98 just reach the insulation or top wafer 100 of the next lower socket.

However, in accordance with a further feature of the present invention the stiffness of the stick of sockets is further improved by forming a ring of holes in the top wafer to receive the lower ends of the terminal posts of the next higher socket. Thus, referring to Fig. 5A, the top water 102 of the preferred socket has a ring of holes 104 disposed directly over the terminal posts. These holes are in addition to the ring of smaller holes 106 provided for the pins of the radio tube, and the center hole 168 provided for the center shield. It will be understood that the socket here shown is for miniature tubes having seven pins, spaced for eight pins, the missing pin space serving to properly orient the tube relative to the socket. Because of the missing pin the socket may be provided with a fiat side indicated at 110. In the socket shown in Fig. 7 there is no outer ring of holes 104, but in the socket shown in Figs. 1 through 5A such 3 holes are added, and the lower ends 116 (Fig. 4) of the terminal posts 72 are received for a short distance in the holes 104 (Fig. 5). Accordingly the center shield 68 is somewhat shorter in this socket than in the socket of Fig. 7.

The metal contacts of the present socket are made in accordance with the co-pending application Serial No. 524,693 previously mentioned. Each contact is preferably made of a single piece of sheet metal, and comprises a resilient pin grip portion '74 (Fig. 5) of the split sleeve type. The terminal post 72 is made hollow and tubular so that it may be used as a support post, and its lower end is preferably pointed and split to make the same resiliently yieldable, as is best shown in Fig. 4. The split lower end is provided with ridges 113 and 129 which are spaced apart an amount corresponding to the thickness of a .pieceof insulation used as a printed circuit board, it being understood that the present socket is particularly designed for use with printed circuits which are to be soldered by the so-called pot soldering method.

Referring to Fig. 2, when the socket is inserted in a printed circuit board, indicated in broken lines at 122, the wafers 64, 66 of the socket are disposed above the board 122, as shown. The tube 124 has been only partially inserted as shown in the drawing, and its pins 126 are received in the pin grippers of the metal contacts. Reverting now to Fig. 5, the contacts are loaded on to the lower wafer 64, the grippers 79 being received through an inner ring of holes, and the posts 72 passing through an outer ring of holes, with the connecting bridges 74 disposed over water 64. The contacts are held between the wafers when the upper wafer 66 is added. The inner holes 166 of the upper water are in alignment with the pin grippers 7d, and the tube pins pass through the holes 106. The outer holes 104 serve no purpose in the socket as such, but serve to receive the lower ends of the posts of the next socket when the sockets are assembled into a stick, as described above.

The sticks of sockets may have any desired length, say 18 inches, and may be boxed, stored, shipped and handled as sticks. Similarly, the sticks are readily loaded into the top of a simple tubular magazine at the inserting station, and the magazine may have any desired length, say four feet, in which case two sticks may be loaded at a time, on top of a fraction of a stick at the bottom of the magazine.

It is believed that the construction and operation, as well as the advantages, of my improvements in radio tube sockets, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described the invention in a preferred form, changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims. In the claims the term pointed applied to the posts and center shield of the socket is intended to include rounded. The term radio tube socket is intended to include sockets used in television receivers, and sockets intended to receive transformers, transistors, and other components and connectors having spaced parallel pins such as are used in vacuum tubes.

I claim:

1. A socket for printed circuits, said socket comprising an insulation body made up of upper and lower wafers or" sheet insulation, said body carrying a ring of metal contacts, each of said contacts being made of a single piece of sheet metal and comprising a sleeve type pin grip at it inner end and a support-and-terminal post at its outer end with a connecting bridge therebetween, said lower wafer having a center hole and concentric circles of holes, said pin grips passing through the inner circle of holes and said posts passing through the outer circle of holes with the bridges therebetween, said posts being substantially'longer than the pin grips and being hollow in cross-section for stiffness, the lower ends of the posts being pointed and longitudinally slotted so as to be resiliently compressible, the upper wafer having a center hole and concentric rings of holes in registration with the holes in the wafer, and a center ground shield which is hollow and which passes through the center holes at its upper end and serves to secure the wafers together, said shield extending in the same direction as the posts and being matingly shaped at its upper and lower ends, said shield being pointed at its lower end and longitudinally slotted so as to be resiliently compressible, said lower end being so shaped as to be received in the upper end of a similar center ground shield with a snap fit in order to hold a series of sockets in stacked or superposed relation, the length of the shield being so related to the length of the posts that the lower ends of the posts are received in the outer circle of holes of the upper water of a subjacent socket when the lower end of the shield is received in the upper end of the shield of the subjacent socket.

2. As an article of manufacture, a stack of superposed radio tube sockets which are to be used separately when connected in a circuit but which are temporarily detachably connected to one another in superposed relation while awaiting utilization in a circuit, each of said sockets comprising an insulation body made up of upper and lower wafers of sheet insulation, said body carrying a ring of metal contacts, each of said contacts being made of a single piece of sheet metal and comprising a sleeve type pin grip at its inner end and a support-and-terminal post at its outer end with a connecting bridge therebetween, said lower wafer having a center hole and concentric circles of holes, said pin grips passing through the inner circle of holes and said posts passing through the outer circle of holes with the bridges therebetween, said posts being substantially longer than the pin grips and being hollow in cross-section for stillness, the lower ends of the posts being pointed and longitudinally slotted so as to be resiliently compressible, the upper wafer having a center hole and concentric rings of holes in registration with the lower wafer, and a center ground shield which is hollow and which passes through the center holes at its upper end and serves to secure the wafers together, said shield being matingly shaped at its upper and lower ends, said shield being so shaped at its lower end that it is received in the upper end of the center shield of the next socket with a snap fit in order to hold the stack of sockets in their stacked relation, the length of the center shield being so related to the length of the posts that the lower ends of the posts are received in the outer circle of holes of the upper wafer of the subjacent socket.

3. A radio tube socket for use in a printed circuit, said socket comprising an insulation body madeup of upper and lower wafers of sheet insulation, said body carrying a ring of metal contacts, each of said contacts comprising a pin grip at its inner end and asupport-andterminal post at its outer end with a connecting bridge therebetween, said lower wafer having a center hole and concentric circles of holes, said pin grips passing through the inner circle of holes and said posts passing through the outer circle of holes with the bridges therebetween, said posts being substantially longer than the pin grips and being hollow in cross-smtion for stiffness, the lower ends of the posts being pointed and longitudinal-1y slotted so as to be resiliently compressible, the upper wafer having a center hole and a ring of holes for the tube pins and a ring of holes registering with the posts, and a center ground shield which is hollow and which passes through the center holes at its upper end, said shield extending in the same direction as the posts and being matingly shaped at its upper and lower ends, said shield being so shaped at its lower end as to be adapted to be received in the upper end of a similar center ground shield with a resilient snap fit in order to hold a series of like sockets in stick form while awaiting utilization in a circuit, the length of the shield being so related to the length of the posts that the lower ends of the posts are adapted to be received in the registering holes in the upper wafer of a subjacent socket to prevent relative rotation when the lower end of the shield is received in the upper end of the shield of the subjacent socket.

4. As an article of manufacture, a stick of superposed like radio tube sockets which are to be used separately when connected in a circuit but which are temporarily detachably connected to one another in stick form while awaiting utilization in a circuit, each of said sockets comprising an insulation body made up of upper and lower wafers of sheet insulation, said body carrying a ring of metal contacts, each of said contacts comprising a pin grip at its inner end and a support-and-terminal post at its outer end with a connecting bridge therebetween, said lower wafer having a center hole and concentric circles of holes, said pin grips passing through the inner circle of holes and said posts passing through the outer circle of holes with the bridges therebetween, said posts being substantially longer than the pin grips and being hollow in cross-section for stiffness, the lower ends of the posts being pointed and longitudinally slotted so as to be resiliently compressible, the upper wafer having a center hole and a ring of holes for the tube pins and a ring of holes registering with the posts, and a center ground shield which is hollow and which passes through the center holes at its upper end, said shield being matingly shaped at its upper and lower ends, said shield being so shaped at its lower end that it is received in the upper end of the center shield of the subjacent socket with a resilient snap fit in order to hold the stick of sockets in their stacked relation, the length of the center shield being so related to the length of the posts that the lower ends of the posts are received in the registering holes in the upper wafer of the subjacent socket.

5. A radio tube socket for use in a printed circuit, said socket comprising an insulation body carrying a ring of metal contacts, each of said contacts comprising a pin grip at its inner end and a support-and-terminal post at its outer end with a connecting bridge therebetween, said grips and posts being transverse of the body and said bridge being collateral of the body, said posts being substantially longer than the pin grips and being hollow in cross-section, the lower ends of the posts being pointed and resiliently compressible, a hollow tubular center ground shield extending in the same direction as the posts from one side of the body, the opposite side of said body having holes registering with said posts and center shield, said shield being matingly shaped at its upper and lower ends, said shield being so shaped at its lower end as to be adapted to be temporarily received in the upper end of a similar center ground shield with a resilient snap fit in order to hold a series of like sockets in stick form while awaiting utilization in a circuit, the length of the shield being so related to the length of the posts that the lower ends of the posts are adapted to be received in the registering holes in the insulation of a subjacent socket to prevent relative rotation when the lower end of the shield is received in the upper end of the shield of the sub jacent socket.

6. As an article of manufacture, a stick of superposed like radio tube sockets which are to be used separately when connected in a circuit but which are temporarily detachably connected to one another in stick form while awaiting utilization in a circuit, each of said sockets comprising an insulation body carrying a ring of metal contacts, each of said contacts comprising a pin grip at its inner end shaped and dimensioned to detachably receive the pin of a radio tube or the like and a support-and-terminal post at its outer end with a connecting bridge there between, said posts being substantially longer than the pin grips and being hollow in cross-section, the lower ends of the posts being pointed and resiliently compressible,

and a hollow tubular center ground shield extending in same direction as the posts from one side of the body, the opposite side of said body having holes registering with said posts, said shield being matingly shaped at its upper and lower ends, said shield being so shaped at its lower end that it is received in the upper end of the center shield of the subjacent socket with a resilient snap fit in order to hold the stick of sockets in their stacked relation, the length of the center shield being so related to the length of the posts that the lower ends of the posts are received in the holes in the insulation. of the subjacent socket.

7. A radio tube socket for use in a printed circuit, said socket comprising an insulation body carrying pin grips for detachably receiving the pins of a radio tube, and hollow tubular members projecting from one side of the body for permanent soldered connection to the conductors of the circuitry in which the socket is to be used, said tubular members being laterally ofiset from said pin grip portions, the opposite side of the body having holes registering with said tubular members, the lower ends of said tubular members of one socket being adapted to be temporarily received in the holes of a similar subjacent socket to prevent relative rotation, the lower end of at least one tubular member being so shaped and dimensioned as to be adapted to be temporarily received in the mating upper part of a similar subjacent socket with a snap fit, said sockets being used separately when connected in a circuit, whereby like sockets may be stacked and handled as a stick of sockets while awaiting utilization in a circuit.

8. As an article of manufacture, a stick of superposed like radio tube sockets which are to be used separately when connected in a circuit but which are temporarily detachably connected to one another in stick form while awaiting utilization in a circuit, each socket comprising an insulation body carrying pin grip portions shaped and dimensioned to detachably receive the pin of a radio tube or the like, and hollow tubular members projecting from one side of the body shaped and dimensioned for permanent soldered connection to the conductors of circuitry in which the socket is to be used, said tubular members being laterally offset from said pin grip portions, the opposite side of the body having holes registering with said tubular members, the lower ends of said tubular members of each socket being temporarily received in the holes of the subjacent socket to prevent relative rotation, and the lower end of at least one of said members being so shaped and dimensioned that it is received in mating means in the upper part of the similar subjacent socket with a releasable resilient snap fit in order to hold the stick of sockets in their stacked relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,791,967 Mansfield Feb. 10, 1931 2,215,366 Alden Sept. 17, 1940 2,269,605 Smith Jan. 13, 1942 2,369,541 Del Camp Feb. 13, 1945 2,448,339 Williams Aug. 31, 1948 2,448,452 Morelock Aug. 31, 1948 2,465,419 Barany Mar. 29, 1949 2,474,988 Sargrove July 5, 1949 2,651,833 Kernahan Sept. 15, 1953 2,666,255 McCoy Jan. 19, 1954 2,745,081 Offerman May 8, 1956 2,863,131 Carlzen et a1. Dec. 2, 1958 2,877,441 Narozny Mar. 10, 1959 OTHER REFERENCES Tele-Tech Electronic Industries, page 4, section 11, June 1954. 

